Colligan Real Estate, a 70-year-old Bradford business, was recently purchased by Smethport-based Chosen Acres Realty, but its service and agents will remain the same.
The sale went through last Thursday, according to previous owner and associate broker Jim Colligan.
Colligan said the decision to sell was based on the “opportunity to expand the business under new ownership.
“The Bradford office will become a branch office of Chosen Acres,” he explained. “It will continue to have the same service, same agents and same location.”
According to Colligan, all agents from Colligan Real Estate will continue to work at the 7 Main St., Bradford, location under Chosen Acres Realty. This includes Colligan and Marsha Shannon as associate brokers; Melissa (Gae) Colligan, Cindy Hervatin, Kevin McMurtrie, Candy Smith and Terry Smith.
They will be joined by Nancy Rathbun, owner of Chosen Acres Realty, as the new broker, as well as Chosen acres agents from Smethport and Port Allegany.
Rathbun, who has been in real estate since 2004, said she acquired her brokers license and purchased Bill Lake Real Estate which has served the Potter and McKean county area since 1980. The name was changed to Chosen Acres Realty, and it also holds a branch office in Port Allegany, she said.
Colligan said his grandfather, Francis H. Colligan, started Colligan Real Estate in the 1940s and it spanned the decades as a family-owned and operated business, with all four of his sons —Tom, Jack, Frank and Bim Colligan — working with it as licensed realtors.
Jim Colligan, the son of Bim Colligan, said he started working with the family business in 1975, becoming partner in the mid-1990s and later the broker-owner.
“I attended Penn State (University) for a real estate degree and I have been very fortunate to be able to work with my father and uncles,” he said. “It has been a great experience.”
He said the business has changed a lot since he started with it nearly 40 years ago, but the most important part — the way one treats clients with respect — will never change.
“The old ways of conducting real estate business have changed since the 1970s,” Colligan said. “New laws and regulations continue to change the way real estate transactions are conducted. But, over the years, I have learned that professional ethics never change. The way you treat your clients is an important part of the business.”
When asked whether selling houses in a rural area is more challenging than other locations, he said there are actually benefits to operating a real estate business in places like Bradford that have a lower population.
“The advantage of a rural area like Bradford is that it is a smaller, caring community,” Colligan explained. “Colligan Real Estate was a hometown business with loyal customers and friends.”
Rathbun said working in a small area is not tough-going because they “are supported by the community and even the other local businesses.”
Colligan said his favorite part of the business has been “having the opportunity to help people sell their homes and buy new homes, satisfied clients, personal connections, networking with agents and being able to work with my father for so many years.”
Rathbun said she, too, enjoys the social aspect of working in real estate. “I like being able to socialize with the public and the new friendships that I have acquired over the years. It’s nice to see satisfied buyers/sellers through the transactions.”
The two look forward to working together to continue helping homebuyers and sellers in the coming years.
“We have a great team here at Chosen Acres Realty,” Rathbun said. “Our agents are proud of the agency they work for and have the enthusiasm to list/sell.”
